USA RUGBY DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES - (Effective for all disciplinary matters initiated on or after May 30, 2014)
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
USA RUGBY DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES
(Effective for all disciplinary matters initiated
on or after May 30, 2014)
Acting pursuant to Bylaw 10.1, USA Rugby (“USAR”) hereby establishes the following
Disciplinary Procedures for assessing the seriousness of Foul Play and Misconduct and
for imposing sanctions when necessary. All participants in Rugby at all levels within the
United States are bound by and shall follow these procedures. All decisions regarding,
and all suspensions imposed on, players and other individuals shall be accepted and
applied universally by all USAR organizing bodies and their Disciplinary Committees
and Officials.
These Procedures are established in order to secure and maintain consistency in the way
in which discipline is administered and uniformity in the way in which Foul Play and
Misconduct are dealt with at all levels of play of the sport of Rugby within the United
States of America.
IRB REGULATIONS 17, 18, and 20
Unless otherwise specified by USAR or modified by these Disciplinary Procedures,
International Rugby Board (“IRB”) Regulations 17, 18, and 20, including but not limited
to the Sanctions for Foul Play set forth in Appendix 1 of IRB Regulation 17, as now in
effect and as subsequently amended by the IRB, shall apply to all play within the United
States, all rugby individuals, and all entities within USAR.
PLAY WITHIN USA RUGBY
The phrase “play within the United States,” encompasses all levels of play in all forms,
including all matches played within the geographic United States or under the jurisdiction
of USA Rugby. Rugby under USAR jurisdiction is generally divided into play for Clubs,
Colleges, Youth, and All Star/Representative sides. Each level of play may be
administered by one or more organizational entities, which may include Geographic
Unions (“GU”), Collegiate Conferences, and State Rugby Organizations (“SRO”), as
well as USA Rugby itself. Match play and results in all these competitions can lead to
National Championship Competition. In addition there are periodic matches and
tournaments arranged by clubs and other organizations which are not played for national
standing (so-called “Friendlies”), which may be organized and sanctioned under the
authority of any of these subordinate administrative entities or structured in a friendly
“Competition” for purposes play with a governing competition organizer.
1Under its current structure, USA Rugby administers the GUs through the USAR Club
Strategic Committee (“CSC”); college play is administered through the USAR College
Management Committee (“CMC”), and Youth play is administered through the USAR
Youth and High School Committee (“YHSC”). All of the foregoing entities, as well as
the teams and individuals playing rugby in the United States, are responsible for
administering these disciplinary procedures.
LOCAL DISCIPLINE
Responsibility for the administration of these Disciplinary Procedures and for the initial
determination of appropriate disciplinary sanction (if any) is held by the local organizing
entity most immediately responsible for sanctioning a competition. Each local organizing
body (GU, Conference, or SRO) shall establish and maintain a Local Disciplinary
Committee (“Local DC”) with a minimum of 3 members. Each organization operating a
Friendly (whether a single match, tournament or continuing competition) shall establish a
Disciplinary Committee of at least 3 members for the event, tournament or competition
(“Event DC” or “Competition DC”), or, at its discretion, appoint a single, qualified
Disciplinary Officer.
PROCEDURES TO BE FOLLOWED WHENEVER A PLAYER IS ORDERED OFF (RED CARD)
FROM A MATCH, OR IS TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED (YELLOW CARD) FOR FOUL PLAY
FROM 3 MATCHES WITHIN A 12 MONTH PERIOD:
Yellow Card: As used in these guidelines “Yellow card" refers to those temporary
suspensions that result from infractions of Laws 10.1 or 10.4, only.
Competitive regular match play during a sanctioned and administered competition-
The player is automatically suspended from all further play until the situation is reviewed
by the appropriate Local DC.
Inter-GU/Conference/SRO play -- In the event there is a common governing body for
both participating teams, the Disciplinary Committee of the common governing body
shall be responsible for the initial adjudication of any matter. If there is no common
governing body (e.g. for cross GU/Conference/SRO play), the Local DC of the player’s
home area shall have initial jurisdiction of the matter.
For all such matches the DC with intial jurisdiction shall review the player’s situation
within 4 days of the conclusion of the match and follow the provisions of IRB Regulation
17 to determine if and how to impose further sanctions under IRB Regulation 17
Appendix 1. A written decision shall be promptly issued to all involved, and copies sent
to the player’s local governing organization, the USAR Disciplinary Committee (“USAR
DC”), and the Referee Department of USAR.
For friendly match play -- Upon a player’s being Ordered Off/Red Card, or receiving 2
Temporary Suspensions/Yellow Cards for foul play during an Event or 3 Temporary
Suspensions/Yellow Cards for foul play during a competition, the player is automatically
2suspended from further play in the Event or Competition until the Event DC or
Competition DC reviews the situation and determines if and when the player may play
further during the event. The DC with jurisdiction shall follow the provisions of IRB
Regulation 17 to determine if and how to impose sanctions under IRB Regulation 17
Appendix 1. For events or tournaments, the decision of an Event DC is final during the
friendly event and not subject to further review as to play during the Event. Regardless
of the decision of an Event DC or Competition DC, the information regarding the
situation and the DC’s ruling shall promptly be forwarded to the player’s Local DC to
determine what further action, if any, it shall take.
APPEALS
The governing body of each GU/Conference/SRO shall establish a Disciplinary Appeal
Committee or designate an Appeal Officer to consider such matters as may come before
the body. Appellate procedures shall comply with IRB Regulation 17, especially 17.22.l.
All decisions of a Local DC are subject to a single appeal as a matter of right. The
decision of the Local DC with initial jurisdiction over the matter may be appealed in the
first instance to the Disciplinary Appeal Committee/Officer of the governing
body/executive committee of the GU, Conference, or SRO of the DC which reached the
decision.
An appeal may be taken from the decision of a Local DC by the player, the player’s
club/team/organization, the opposing/victim player(s) or that player(s)’
club/team/organization, the GU/Conference/ SRO of either the player or the victim
player(s), or USA Rugby. Such parties shall lodge an appeal as soon as reasonably
practicable but in any event no later than 72 hours following receipt by the appealing
party of the decision. During the appeal, the player remains under whatever sanction, if
any, originally imposed by the Local DC.
The Appeal Committee/Appeal Officer may affirm, cancel, alter, diminish, or increase
any sanction imposed by the Local DC, following the provisions of IRB Regulation 17.
The Appeal Committee/Appeal Officer shall render a written decision within 7 days of
the receipt of the appeal to all involved, and send copies to the USAR Disciplinary
Committee (“USAR DC”) and the Referee Department of USAR.
In the event that the initial disciplinary hearing is held before the disciplinary committee
of a GU, Conference or SRO, then the appeal as of right, shall be to the Disciplinary
Appellate Committee/Disciplinary Appellate Officer of the relevant governing USAR
body, i.e., the CSC, the CMC, or the YHSC. The Disciplinary Appeal Committee/Appeal
Officer of the CSC, CMC or YHSC, as the case may be, shall handle the appeal in the
same manner as set forth for initial appeals from a Local DC. During the appeal, the
player remains under whatever sanction, if any, originally imposed by the DC of the GU,
Conference, or SRO.
3In the event that the initial disciplinary hearing is held before a Competition DC, the
organizers of the competition shall provide for an appellate procedure which handles the
appeal in the same manner as set forth for initial appeals from a Local DC. During the
appeal, the player remains under whatever sanction, if any, originally imposed by the
Competition DC.
Following the decision of the Appeal Committee/Appeal Officer of the
GU/Conference/SRO (if one of those institutions considers the appeal as of right) or the
decision of the Appeal Committee/Appeal Officer of the CSC, CMC, or YHSC (if one of
those institutions considers the appeal as of right), or the Competition DC (if one of those
institutions considers the appeal as of right), the player, the player’s
club/team/organization, the opposing/victim player(s) or that player(s)’
club/team/organization, or the GU/Conference/ SRO of either the player or the victim
player(s) or USA Rugby may request further review by the USAR DC which may, in its
discretion, choose to accept the matter for further review or decline to undertake further
review and action. Such parties shall request an appeal as soon as reasonably practicable
but in any event no later than 72 hours following receipt by the requesting party of the
decision. If the USAR DC declines to accept the matter for further review, the previous
decision and sanctions, if any, stand.
If the USAR DC chooses in its discretion to accept the matter for further review, the
decision and sanctions, if any, of the Appeal Committee/Appeal Officer remain in effect
pending review. If the USAR DC chooses in its discretion to accept the review, it shall
render a written decision within 7 days of accepting review. If it accepts review, the
USAR may affirm, cancel, alter, diminish, or increase any sanction previously imposed,
following the provisions of IRB Regulation 17. The USAR DC shall render a written
decision within 7 days of the receipt of the appeal to all involved, and send a copy to the
Referee Department of USAR. The decision of the USAR DC is final, subject to the
provisions of USAR Bylaws X and XII.
In the event that the initial disciplinary hearing is held before the disciplinary committee
of a governing USAR body, i.e., the CSC, the CMC, or the YHSC, then the appeal as of
right, shall be to the USAR DC. The USAR DC shall, in that case, hear the appeal as of
right and handle the appeal in the same manner as set forth for initial appeals from a
Local DC. In such a circumstance the decision of the USAR DC shall be final, subject to
the provisions of USAR Bylaws X and XII.
NATIONAL COMPETITIONS
For national competitions, under direct administrative control of USAR (i.e. match play
in regional or national pools leading to a national championship) USAR shall establish
DCs and Appeal Committees/Appeal Officers in compliance with these Disciplinary
Procedures and IRB Regulations 17 and 18.
4OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES
Should incidents occur regarding play and playing arrangements not in accordance with
the circumstances described herein, the general procedures as set forth herein shall still be
followed: there shall be a DC at the first level of governing administration of the event,
an appeal to the next level of governing body/executive committee or relevant USAR
governing body and its Appeal Officer/Appeal Committee, and thence to the
discretionary review of the USAR DC.
Where these procedures provide that a disciplinary body is to act by a particular time, it is
intended that the body should act by the time specified; however, the failure to act by the
time specified shall not bar action by the body so long as substantial fairness is not
compromised. The various DCs, Appeal Committees, and Appeal Officers, of the entities
of USA Rugby and USAR DC may reasonably adjust the timing requirements for any
particular incident as needed by the particular circumstances, but any previously imposed
sanctions still apply regardless of the timing and in no circumstances may the DCs,
Appeal Committees, Appeal Officers, and USAR DC fail to follow and apply the
substantive provisions of IRB Regulation 17 and 18, especially Appendix 1 to Regulation
17.
Any allegations regarding misconduct by a referee must come from a player/club/local
organizing entity, and shall be directed to and handled by a DC of that referee's local
referee society or referee organizing body, which shall determine what sanction, if any,
shall be imposed on the referee. Thereafter, the referee or his society or referee
organizing body may request further review by the USAR Referees and Laws Committee
DC, which may in its discretion, choose to accept the matter for further review or decline
to undertake further review and action. The decision of the USAR R&L DC is final. In
all instances, any decisions regarding a referee's action shall not affect any decision
regarding scores or game results.
CITINGS
For national competitions, as much as possible USAR shall establish Citing
Commissioners and Citing Procedures, and allow citings by teams/clubs, in compliance
with IRB Regulation 17, particularly 17.9-17.12 and 17.16. For other matches, the GUs,
Conferences, and SROs are encouraged likewise to establish Citing Commissioners and
Citing Procedures, and may allow citings by teams/clubs, in compliance with IRB
Regulation 17. In all instances involving a citation (rather than a referee-imposed
sanction), an IRB approved Citing Commissioner, Judicial Officer, or Appeal Officer
should be included on, or consulted by, the appropriate DC, Appeal Committee/Appeal
Officer, and USAR DC. Where Citing Procedures have been established, member clubs
have the right to cite any player, coach, club official, or other person affiliated with the
member club to the DC with jurisdiction for foul play or misconduct, which citation shall
be made by written notice given to the Chair of the DC with jurisdiction no later than
forty-eight (48) hours after the conclusion of the subject match or other incident in
question. If a club elects to cite a player, coach, official or other person affiliated with a
5member club, the club has the obligation to provide evidence that supports the citation
and this evidence or a description of the evidence must accompany the citation.
Additional evidence may be provided at the D/C hearing.
ANNUAL REPORTS
By January 31 of each year, the various DCs, Appeal Committees, Appeal Officers, and
USAR DC shall submit to the Referee Department of USAR a written summary of all
matters considered and all decisions rendered in the previous calendar year, in a format
previously approved and distributed by the USAR Referee Department.
6PROCEDURE PATHWAY DIAGRAM
RED CARD ISSUED
4 Days
LOCAL DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE
OR
OFFICER
72 Hours
LOCAL DISCIPLINARY
Or
GU/Conference/SRO
APPEAL COMMITTEE
7 Days
GU/Conference/SRO
DECISION LDAC DECISION
72 Hours
USA RUGBY
Discretionary
Must hear DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE
7 Days 7 Days
USA RUGBY DC DECISION
7You can also read
